Communicating duct for a container, and a container provided with such a duct

ABSTRACT

A duct ( 1 ) applicable to a container ( 4 ) presents a connecting portion ( 9 ) with four substantially flat connecting surfaces ( 9   a ) and a internal bridging surface ( 13 ) by which the side walls ( 7   a ) of the container ( 4 ) are joined seamlessly to a spout ( 5 ) afforded by the duct ( 1 ); the bridging surface ( 13 ) is contoured in such a way that a flow of liquid food product can be directed through the spout ( 5 ) without becoming trapped and stagnating between the duct ( 1 ) and side walls ( 7   a ) of the container ( 4 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a communicating duct for containers.

The invention relates also to a container furnished with such a duct.

In particular, albeit with no limitation in general scope implied, the present invention relates to a container for food products, for example containers designed to hold liquid products in general such as milk, fruit juices, yoghurt, mineral water, and/or fluid products broadly considered, of which the chemical and organoleptic properties can easily be impaired and spoiled.

BACKGROUND ART

Liquid and fluid products of the type mentioned above are packaged conventionally by bottling in containers of which the structure can be fabricated employing a multi-layer or treated paper material, for example cardboard or paperboard coated with one or more layers of food-safe material suitable for liquids.

Containers of the type in question are fashioned generally from flat diecut blanks, detached generally from a roll and then folded suitably along precreased lines in such a way as to form recipients capable of holding the liquid product.

It is standard practice for a communicating duct embodied typically as a tubular element to be applied to the top of each container, providing a spout from which to pour the product; the end of the tubular element farthest from the container can be closed by means of a suitable cap.

The communicating duct is secured to the structure of the respective container by means of a weld, such as will unite the topmost edges of the container structure with a cylindrical portion of the tubular element constituting the duct.

To ensure the communicating ducts are correctly positioned on the respective containers, each duct is furnished with an annular projection serving to delimit the weldable surface of the tubular element uppermost, and affording a stop against which the top edge of the container structure is caused to locate.

Still with reference to the positioning of the communicating ducts on the structures of the relative containers, each communicating duct is furnished generally with one or more projections positioned to locate between joined areas of the container in such a way that each projection will be united with the selfsame joined areas in the course of the welding operation.

Moreover, the welding operations in question typically involve the application of heat, and in order to offset any contraction of the material used to fashion the communicating duct, the longitudinal dimension presented by the tubular element of the duct is greater than the effective longitudinal dimension of the weldable surface, projecting internally of and toward the bottom of the container.

Whilst the communicating ducts thus described afford a protected passage to the food product, it has been found nonetheless that they are not free of drawbacks and might be improved from certain standpoints, as concerning principally the chemical and organoleptic preservation of the bottled food product, the fluid-tightness of the welded areas by which the communicating ducts and the respective containers are united, and the simplicity of the welding operations.

More exactly, it has been found that an excessive oversizing of the tubular element, intended to offset the contraction of the material during the welding operation, results in the formation of hollow retention pockets between the walls of the container and the innermost end of the spout afforded by the tubular element. These pockets are particularly disadvantageous in that they complicate the process of cleaning the inside of the containers after the welding operation, as well as degrading the operation of disposal when the containers are no longer of use. During the washing process, in effect, which is conducted generally with the container sealed and using a special flushing liquid, it happens that a part of the liquid will collect in the aforementioned pockets when the container is emptied. Naturally enough, the presence of the flushing liquid inside the container implies that the food product batched subsequently into the selfsame container will become tainted. Accordingly, the manufacturer is forced to make use of devices designed especially to remove the residual cleansing liquid. This obviously dictates an increase in the costs of producing, and subsequently of marketing the end product.

As regards disposal of the containers on the other hand, the pockets tend undesirably to trap a part of the liquid product used by the consumer, which can then escape accidentally both when the container is placed in the refuse collection bin, and during the operations of crushing and compacting thereafter.

Moreover, the structure of prior art communicating ducts as described above does nothing to facilitate the welding process, given that one or more gaps can form subsequently between the external cylindrical surface of the tubular element and the flat walls of the relative container, tending thus to impede a proper isolation of the bottled product from the surrounding environment.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the problems described above through the adoption of a communicating duct for containers that can both guarantee a fluid-tight seal and ensure there will be no stagnation in the container either of flushing liquids, after the cleansing operation, or of liquid food products when poured for consumption.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the operations by which the communicating duct and the relative container are joined together.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The stated object is realized according to the present invention in a communicating duct for containers, comprising at least one tubular element anchorable to an outlet portion of a container in such a way as to create at least one spout affording a passage between the container and the surrounding environment, and at least one connecting portion presenting at least one connecting area such as can be united hermetically with the outlet portion of the container, characterized in that the connecting portion presents an internal bridging surface departing from the outlet portion and converging toward a longitudinal axis of the tubular element (2).

The stated object is realized similarly in a container fashioned from at least one sheet of paper material, comprising a structure composed of at least one base portion, at least one outlet portion permanently associated and combining with the base portion to afford at least one cavity containing at least one food product, and at least one communicating duct anchorable to a outlet portion of the container in such a way as to create at least one spout affording a passage between the cavity and the surrounding environment, characterized in that the communicating duct embodies the features recited in one or more of the appended claims 1 to 18 relating to the selfsame communicating duct.

The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a communicating duct for containers according to the present invention, associated with a portion of a respective container and viewed in perspective;

FIG. 2 shows the communicating duct of FIG. 1 viewed in plan;

FIG. 3 is a half-section of the duct illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, taken on III-III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows the communicating duct of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, associated with a container for liquid food products and viewed in a diametral section;

FIG. 5 illustrates a second embodiment of the communicating duct according to the invention, viewed in plan;

FIG. 6 is a half-section of the duct illustrated in FIG. 5, taken on IV-IV in FIG. 5.

With reference to the drawings, 1 denotes a communicating duct for containers, in its entirety, embodied according to the present invention.

The communicating duct 1 comprises at least one tubular element 2 anchorable to a structure 3 of a container 4 and serving thus to establish at least one spout 5 connecting the inside of the container with the surrounding environment.

The container 4 is fashioned preferably from one or more blanks (not illustrated, being conventional) of a multi-layer paper material, for example paperboard or cardboard coated with one or more layers of a food-safe film at least on the surface exposed to the product.

As illustrated partly by the phantom lines of FIG. 1, and in FIG. 4, the structure 3 of the container 4 comprises a substantially box-like base portion 6 rigidly associated uppermost with an outlet portion 7 of substantially frustopyramidal geometry, funnel-like in appearance. The base portion 6 and the outlet portion 7 combine to create at least one cavity 8 such as will contain a food product, and preferably a liquid food product.

More exactly, the base portion 6 presents at least a base 6 a of substantially polygonal outline and a plurality of substantially quadrangular side walls 6 b departing one from each side of the base.

The outlet portion 7 likewise presents a set of side walls 7 a substantially of isosceles trapezoidal outline, extending diagonally from the relative side walls 6 b of the base portion 6. Each side wall 7 a of the output portion 7 is connected to the two adjacent side walls 7 a by way of respective seams 7 b bonded hermetically together through the agency of suitable means (not illustrated) to create respective joined areas 7 c.

In like manner, given that the structure 3 of the container 4 is erected from a blank of paper material, the base portion 6 also presents respective seams (not illustrated), longitudinally disposed and folded in such a manner as to lie flat against the respective side walls 6 a, occupying a minimum of space.

The side walls 7 a of the outlet portion 7 are mutually convergent, centred on a longitudinal axis X of the container 4 and terminating uppermost in an opening 7 d to which the communicating duct 1 can be anchored, so that the spout 5 created by the duct will afford a passage through which the cavity 8 and the surrounding environment are connected.

As discernible in the accompanying drawings, the communicating duct 1 is anchorable to the outlet portion 7 of the container 4 by way of a connecting portion 9 located at a bottom end 2 a of the tubular element 2.

In particular, the connecting portion 9 presents at least one connecting area 9 a extending substantially parallel to the outlet portion 7 of the container 4 in such a way that it can be offered entirely flush and joined hermetically to the selfsame outlet portion.

In the example of FIGS. 1 and 4, the connecting area 9 a is anchored to the inside face of the outlet portion 7 and thus concealed entirely.

More precisely, the connecting area 9 a presents a plurality of connecting surfaces 9 b arranged around a longitudinal axis Y of the tubular element 2 which, when the communicating duct 1 is secured in place, will coincide with the longitudinal axis X of the container 4. Each connecting surface 9 b is thus angled in relation to the longitudinal axis Y and extends between two adjacent connecting surfaces 9 b.

In practice, each connecting surface 9 b engages a respective adjacent connecting surface 9 b along one of two opposite side edges 9 c, thereby establishing at least one corner edge 10 positioned facing a respective internal corner formed between two side walls 7 a of the outlet portion 7 presented by the container 4.

To ensure an optimum fluid-tight association between the communicating duct 1 and the container 4, the connecting surfaces 9 b are equal in number to the side walls 7 a of the outlet portion 7, hence also to the side walls 6 a of the base portion 6 of the selfsame container 4. Moreover, each connecting surface 9 b appears substantially flat and extends substantially parallel to the respective side wall 7 a of the outlet portion 7, thus markedly facilitating a secure join between the two components.

As discernible in FIGS. 2 and 5, the connecting surfaces 9 b are disposed in such a way as to describe a polygon, viewed in a plane substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis Y of the tubular element 2, which appears in the particular example illustrated as a square.

Still referring to the transverse plane mentioned above, each connecting surface 9 b of the connecting area 9 a is set at an angle such as will render the connecting portion 9 substantially frustopryamidal in appearance. Given the geometry of the connecting portion 9, moreover, each connecting surface 9 b presents a substantially trapezoidal outline similar to the outline presented by each side wall 7 a of the outlet portion 7.

The connecting portion 9 of the tubular element 2 also presents a locating element 11 positioned transversely relative to the connecting area 9 a and in such a way as to engage in abutting contact with a terminal edge 7 d presented by the respective side wall 7 a of the outlet portion 7.

More exactly, each connecting surface 9 b of the connecting area 9 a presented by the connecting portion 9 is furnished with a respective locating element 1 projecting from a top side of the relative connecting surface 9 b and extending its full length, so that the locating element 11 of each connecting surface 9 b is joined at the relative side edges 9 c to the locating elements 11 of the adjacent connecting surfaces 9 b.

As discernible in the accompanying drawings, the connecting portion 9 of the tubular element 2 presents at least one projection 12 extending radially from the connecting area 9 a in relation to the longitudinal axis Y of the tubular element 2 and insertable hermetically between the two seams 7 b of a corresponding joined area 7 c presented by the outlet portion 7, in such a way as to form a single entity with the selfsame seams once the assembled components have been suitably welded together.

In the examples illustrated, each corner edge 10 of the connecting portion 9 is furnished with a relative radially cantilevered projection 12 extending between the seams 7 b of a respective joined area 7 c of the outlet portion 7. The projections 12 present a substantially flat and slender profile such as will favour their insertion between the seams 7 b of the outlet portion 7 and allow the seams to bond without difficulty during the welding operation.

To advantage, the connecting portion 9 of the tubular element 2 also comprises at least one internal bridging surface 13 departing from the side walls 7 a of the outlet portion 7 and substantially converging on the longitudinal axis Y of the tubular element 2, or in practice, toward the spout 5 created by the selfsame tubular element 2.

More precisely, the bridging surface 13 in question can present an irregular profile, inasmuch as it might include differently oriented sections 13 a and 13 b, but will in any event form an angle no greater than 90° with the longitudinal axis Y of the tubular element 2. In other words, each section 13 a and 13 b of the bridging surface 13 is disposed in such a way that the food product inside the container can flow freely from the spout 5 without stagnating and/or accumulating at any point along the way.

In a first embodiment of the communicating duct 1, shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the bridging surface 13 presents first sections 13 a extending substantially parallel to the respective side walls 7 a of the outlet portion 7 and at least one second section 13 b integral with the first sections 13 a, substantially normal to the longitudinal axis Y of the tubular element 2. With this configuration, the profile described by the internal bridging surface 13 along the direction of the spout 5 substantially resembles that of a funnel, following and complementing the internal profile presented by the outlet portion 7 of the container 4.

In a second embodiment of the communicating duct 1, illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the connecting portion 9 presents a substantially solid structure and the connecting area 9 a presents a plurality of alternating slots 14 and ribs 15 such as will serve as vents for any aeriform substances that may collect between the connecting area and the side walls of the outlet portion 7 during the course of the welding operation.

In the course of the welding operation, moreover, the slots 14 combine with the side walls 7 a of the outlet portion 7 to create a plurality of chambers 16 in which the aforementioned aeriform substances will remain encapsulated, without influencing the effectiveness of the weld.

Still referring to the example of FIGS. 5 and 6, the internal bridging surface 13, which serves to convey the liquid food product in the container toward the spout 5, is disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis Y of the tubular element 2. To enhance the conveying action, the surface 13 might also be angled slightly toward the spout 5.

In the examples of the accompanying drawings, the tubular element 2 presents a bottom end denoted 2 a and, located at a top end 2 b opposite from the bottom end 2 a, a coupling portion 2 c such as will accept a closure in the form of a cap (not illustrated, being conventional). In addition, the tubular element 2 can be provided with one or more annular projections 2 d, located between the coupling portion 2 c and the connecting portion 9, such as can be engaged by suitable means (not illustrated) serving to handle the relative container 4 during the process of applying the communicating duct 1 and completing the packaging cycle.

The problems associated with the prior art are thus solved by the present invention, and the stated objects duly realized.

First and foremost, the communicating duct 1 according to the present invention enables optimum preservation of the food product batched into the container 4 with which it is associated, by virtue of its capacity to guarantee a hermetic sealing action and thus isolate the contents from the surrounding environment.

Moreover, the incorporation of a flat connecting area 9 a greatly facilitates the operation of welding the duct to the side walls 7 a of the relative outlet portion 7, simplifying the operation significantly and rendering the sealing action more effective.

Also advantageous is the inclusion of a connecting portion 9 with a bridging surface 13 located internally of the container 4, extending from the side walls 7 a of the outlet portion 7 to the spout 5 of the tubular element 2, which ensures the liquid product will flow directly to the spout without stagnating inside the container. In short, the particular geometry of the bridging surface 13 is such that there are no pockets or depressions directed toward the base 6 a of the container 4, which in the case of the aforementioned prior art solutions are liable to trap both the flushing liquids used in manufacture, and the food product with which the container is ultimately filled.

With this feature of the communicating duct 1 in mind, the invention achieves a notable reduction in the costs of producing and/or marketing containers 4 of the type in question, given that if flushing liquids are prevented from stagnating inside the containers, manufacturers are able to eliminate the need for costly equipment that might otherwise be needed to remove such accumulated liquids from the containers 4. 

1) A communicating duct for containers, comprising at least one tubular element (2) anchorable to an outlet portion (7) of a container (4) in such a way as to create at least one spout (5) affording a passage between the container and the surrounding environment, and at least one connecting portion (9) presenting at least one connecting area (9 a) such as can be united hermetically with the outlet portion (7) of the container, the connecting portion (9) presenting an internal bridging surface (13) departing from the outlet portion (7) and converging toward a longitudinal axis (Y) of the tubular element (2); characterized in that said at least one connecting area (9 a) comprises a plurality of connecting surfaces (9 b) substantially flat and equal to the number of side walls (7 a) presented by the outlet portion. 2) A duct as in claim 1, wherein the internal bridging surface (13) forms an angle no greater than 90° with the longitudinal axis (Y) of the tubular element (2). 3) A duct as in claim 2, wherein the internal bridging surface (13) presents a first section (13 a) extending substantially parallel to the outlet portion (7). 4) A duct as in claim 3, wherein the internal bridging surface (13) also presents a second section (13 b), embodied integrally with the first section (13 a) and disposed substantially normal to the longitudinal axis (Y) of the tubular element (2), extending between the first section (13 a) and the edge of the tubular element (2) offered to the outlet portion (7). 5) A duct as in claim 2, wherein the internal bridging surface (13) lies completely in a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis (Y) of the tubular element (2). 6) A duct as in claim 1, wherein the connecting area (9 a) presented by the connecting portion (9) of the tubular element (2) extends substantially parallel to the outlet portion (7) of the container (4), so that the selfsame connecting area (9 a) can be offered entirely flush to the outlet portion (7). 7) A duct as in claim 1, wherein the connecting area (9 a) is anchored to the inside face presented by the outlet portion (7) of the container (4). 8) A duct as in claim 1, wherein the connecting portion (9 a) of the tubular element (2) presents at least one locating element (11) extending transversely relative to the connecting area (9 a) and positioned to engage in abutting contact with a terminal edge (7 d) presented by the respective side wall (7 a) of the outlet portion (7) of the container (4). 9) A duct as in claim 1, wherein the connecting area (9 a) presents at least one opening (15) able to vent any aeriform substances during the operation of joining the connecting area (9 a) to the outlet portion (7) of the container (4). 10) A duct as in claim 9, wherein the connecting area (9 a) presents a plurality of openings (15) able to vent any aeriform substances. 11) A duct as in claim 1, wherein the connecting portion (9) of the tubular element (2) presents at least one projection (12) extending from the connecting area (9 a) in a radial direction, relative to the longitudinal axis (Y) of the tubular element (2), insertable thus into a joined area (7 c) of the outlet portion (7) and weldable hermetically to the selfsame joined area. 12) A duct as in claim 1, wherein the connecting surfaces (9 b) are arranged around a longitudinal axis (Y) of the tubular element (2), in a plane substantially perpendicular to the selfsame longitudinal axis, each such connecting surface (9 b) being interposed between two adjacent connecting surfaces. 13) A duct as in claim 12, wherein the connecting surfaces (9 b) are arranged in the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (Y) of the tubular element (2) in such a way as to describe a polygon. 14) A duct as in claim 13, wherein the polygon described by the connecting surfaces (9 b) is a quadrilateral. 15) A duct as in claim 12, wherein the connecting area (9 a) presents a specific number of connecting surfaces (9 b) equal to the number of side walls (6 a) presented by the container (4), each individual surface (9 b) extending parallel to the respective side wall (7 a) of the outlet portion (7) in such a manner as to bond hermetically with the selfsame side wall. 16) A duct as in claim 12, wherein each connecting surface (9 b) combines with an adjacent connecting surface (9 b) to form at least one corner edge (10) facing a respective corner edge formed between two adjoining side walls (7 a) of the outlet portion (7), and the connecting portion (9) presents at least one projection (12) associated with a relative corner edge (10), extending radially from the selfsame corner edge in relation to the longitudinal axis (Y) of the tubular element (2), insertable thus into a joined area (7 c) of the outlet portion (7) and weldable hermetically to the selfsame joined area. 17) A duct as in claim 12, wherein each connecting surface (9 b) is angled relative to a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis (Y) of the tubular element (2) in such a way that the connecting portion (9) appears substantially frustopyramidal in shape and each of the connecting surfaces (9 b) presents a substantially trapezoidal outline. 18) A duct as in claim 12, wherein the connecting portion (9) presents a substantially solid body, and each connecting surface (9 b) presents a plurality of slots (14) combining with a respective side wall (7 a) of the outlet portion (7) of the container (4) to create a plurality of chambers (16) accommodating any aeriform substances that may be present. 19) A container fashioned from at least one sheet of paper material, comprising a structure (3) composed of at least one base portion (6), at least one outlet portion (7) permanently associated and combining with the base portion (6) to afford at least one cavity (8) containing at least one food product, and at least one communicating duct (1) anchorable to a outlet portion (7) of the container (4) in such a way as to create at least one spout (5) affording a passage between the cavity (8) and the surrounding environment, characterized in that the communicating duct (1) embodies the features recited in one or more of the preceding claims. 